Trauma Support Providers

Professional Biography

I live in the Bega Valley and work from a room at the Red Door Health Clinic in Bega for the last 2 years. In my capacity as a general psychologist, I have been working directly with people affected by relational trauma of sexual violations for more than 20 years, with the Community Health Sexual Assault Service team. Before that I worked in Sydney with people with dual diagnosis of mental illness and developmental disability. I also worked at a university in the 90's, teaching and supporting students in clinical placements. In this context I directly encountered and responded to systems abuses and obstacles to justice when safety had been violated.
My work with NSW Sexual Assault Services brought clients from many contexts to me. Apart from the direct therapeutic work of overcoming trauma and life consequences I have assisted with and am familiar with court, tribunal and family law processes. My therapeutic framework is well informed through a commitment to ongoing professional development, attending workshops and conferences with key leaders in the field. This has supported my role in responding to many features of trauma such as regulation issues (anxiety, depression, anger and self-medication), relational challenges, learning difficulties and symptoms of complex PTSD. My framework is informed by recognition of principles of the traditional owners of this land, the need for belonging and purpose with others. It reflects a commitment to ensuring safety and empowering clients, through the careful development of a shared therapeutic understanding of the experience of recovery. My broad experience enables engagement and promotes change through client awareness and choice. Where indicated I can work with symptoms of extreme distress including relational conflict, mental disorder and physical reactions. Using awareness and interruption, reframing and grounding techniques, I assist my client to manage and make new meaning of the distress. I also understand the value of team work in stabilising distress. I have developed strong skills in monitoring process and assessing, reviewing and pacing client goals. I have a well-established sense of session landscape and outcomes in the context of balancing safety and overall goals, using reflective summary and re-entering tasks to maximise boundaries around the experience between sessions.

I have found the role of supporting recovery from crisis of disclosure through to wellbeing with women, men and children and their families highly rewarding. The challenges and possibilities are as endless as the individuals and the benefits of relational health are far reaching. When ending a therapeutic relationship, I use the therapeutic relationship understanding to review and determine closure with my client. I now work part-time in a small private practice, enjoying a range of professional experiences and still welcoming the opportunity to use my experience to support healing from relational trauma.

Client Types

• Child
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Couple
• Family
• LGBTIQ